OTTAWA—Canada will stop requiring fully-vaccinated travelers to show evidence of negative COVID-19 tests, effective by the end of the month, federal sources say.
The change to the border testing requirement is expected to be announced on Thursday.
Proof of vaccination will still be needed to board any plane, train or boat that is federally regulated.
Under the current rules, all travelers aged five and up entering Canada by land, air or water must provide proof of a negative test to cross the border.
Accepted tests include antigen tests observed or administered by a health-care professional one day before travel, molecular tests taken within 72 hours prior to departure, or a previous negative molecular test result taken between 10 and 180 days before entering the country.
Pre-arrival testing requirements for fully-vaccinated people have been criticized by some medical professionals and those in the travel and tourism industry as outdated, inconvenient and expensive.
The announcement comes one month after Ottawa moved to scale back testing requirements, by allowing travelers to take rapid antigen tests instead of pricier and less accessible — but more accurate — molecular tests.
The exemption for pre-arrival testing for trips 72 hours or less was lifted in December of last year.
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